


Vis-à-Viscount

by Xelleca



Category: Dragon Age (Video Games), Dragon Age - All Media Types, Dragon Age II, Dragon Age: Inquisition
Genre: F/M, Humor, Kirkwall (Dragon Age), Post-Dragon Age: Inquisition, Pre-Dragon Age: Inquisition - Trespasser DLC
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-09
Updated: 2020-07-09
Packaged: 2021-03-05 02:47:56
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 841
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25157251
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Xelleca/pseuds/Xelleca
Summary: Varric informs Guard Captain Aveline about Kirkwall's new Viscount.  She takes it about as well as expected.
Relationships: Donnic Hendyr/Aveline Vallen, Male Hawke/Merrill
Kudos: 17





	Vis-à-Viscount

Guard-Captain Aveline Vallen was, at this point in her life, used to people waltzing into her office unannounced. Hawke was a welcome intruder, Bran much less so, and Merrill was as surprised as Aveline (“I thought this was The Hanged Man.”). That Varric Tethras had entered was somewhat unexpected, but not a shock. These days, they most often met to coordinate reconstruction efforts or to strategize on holding off Starkhaven, though they made time to play cards and chat at least once a week. Thus, the Captain was unsurprised at Varric’s broad smile.

“I’ve got good news, Aveline!” he announced as he took a seat across from her. He had, after many years, stopped putting his feet up on the desk, something Aveline meant to thank the Inquisitor for.

“They’ve upgraded to only half watered-down lager at The Hanged Man?”

“No, then it would lose all its charm. And its profits.” He flashed a full grin. “The nobles finally got their heads out of their asses long enough to pick a Viscount!”

Aveline looked up from the report she was reading. She had honestly begun to doubt anyone would be Viscount ever again after everything the last few went through.

“Who got the nod?”

Varric smirked - never a good sign. “Guess.”

“Bran?”

“Ha! No, and I’m pretty sure he’d refuse.”

“de Launcet?”

“Nah, too Orlesian, plus that whole business with his kid.”

Aveline drummed her fingers against the solid desk. “Garrodes?”

“Good guess, but he owes the Carta a lot of money for betting on nug races. Too many debts. And nugs.”

“I give up, just tell me.”

“Here, I’ll give you a hint: you’re going to hate it.”

Now Aveline was concerned.

“von Walard?”

“No, thank the Maker. She got drunk and fought a Tal-Vashoth over ten coppers last month. Come on, think about it!”

“...Andraste preserve me, it’s not Hawke is it?”

Varric guffawed loud enough for the barracks to hear.

“Sadly, no, the gentry is not nearly insane enough to elect an apostate as Viscount. Though Merrill would make a great Viscountess.”

“The entire keep would be covered in twine. And I’m at a loss, Varric. Whoever it is can’t be that bad.”

At that, the dwarf grinned widely. A sinking feeling descended in Aveline’s stomach.

“No.”

“Oh, yes, Big Red.”

“You are shitting me.”

“You’re looking at the newest Viscount of Kirkwall!”

“I have personally seen you commit multiple crimes! At once! In a Chantry!”

“I told you, it’s not stealing if it actually belongs to someone else, and Isabela had the receipt for that statue of Andraste.”

“It was written on the back of a flyer for The Rose!”

“See? These are the important legal discussions we can have when I’m in office. By the way, the coronation’s next week, color scheme is red and gold, so if you and Donnic have anything with those colors, I’d appreciate i-“

“I will kill you, then arrest myself, dwarf.”

Varric put his hands up in mock surrender. “That’s no way to talk to your boss, Guard Captain!”

Aveline lowered her shoulders.

“Just...promise me you won’t have me do anything illegal or demeaning. And I’m not giving Isabela a ‘license to thrill’. Or respecting the one she made herself.”

Varric sighed. “Aveline, you do realize I respect you, right?”

“You’ve got a strange way of showing respect.”

Varric waved his hand. “Really, I do! You’re all that’s kept this city from sinking into the harbor.”

Aveline rolled her eyes. Varric noticed and changed his tone.

“Listen - when I was with the Inquisition, off in Maker-knows-where, one of the only things that brought me any peace of mind was knowing home was safe as long as you were here, Aveline. You’ve put up with some shit from all of us, myself in particular, but you take it in stride.” He paused. “Kirkwall needs you. I need you, if I’m going to be Viscount without losing my mind.”

Aveline drummed her fingers on her desk again. She never did get better with discussing emotions. 

“Varric, thank you. You’ve done a lot of good for this city - our home - and, Andraste preserve me, I’ll be your Guard-Captain.”

A grin, a sincere one, again graced Varric’s face.

“Good, we don’t have to use my backup plan of ‘don’t’ signs on every corner.”

That one elicited a laugh. On his way out, Varric turned back to Aveline with a warm smile.

“You know, I suggested you for it.”

“You suggested me for Viscountess?”

Varric shrugged. “Like I said, you’re the most competent person in the city. Better suited than me, that’s for sure.”

Aveline smirked. “How’d the nobles take that suggestion?”

“Ah, poorly. They said you were -“

“Too Orlesian? Too Fereldan? Too close to Hawke?”

“Actually, I was going to say, ‘likely to beat half of them to a pulp on the first day’, but, sure, those too.” 

Aveline laughed loudly and without restraint, a rarity that bordered on extinct these last few years. Perhaps Viscount Tethras wouldn’t be too bad after all.


End file.
